بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.

[4:58]

One of the principles of Islam given by Allah in the Qur’an is the matter of fulfilling trusts. When we as Muslims hear about trusts or rights we mainly think about Allahs rights upon us such as prayer or fasting Ramadan, but it goes a lot deeper than this.

Let’s look at the language used. Allah starts off by saying that indeed He commands us to fulfil the trusts we are responsible for. He could have simply mentioned the ruling alone but instead starts with “ina Allah” highlighting that indeed He Himself has entrusted us.

This principle applies in our everyday lives with whoever or whatever we may be dealing with. An example could be the rights of the employer in the workplace when he/she entrusts the employees with tasks or assignments. If we purposefully avoid doing these tasks correctly, slack one way or another then we are not fulfilling the employers rights and thus we are disobeying Allah’s commandment in the process.

This specific example can also apply on a larger scale – not doing right by the laws of a country. As Muslims we are put on this world with the right to worship Allah and thus no laws can ever cause us to go against that. However, there are many aspects in life especially in the West that we as Muslims seem to take very lightly. Let’s take finance management as an example.

We all believe that provision is from Allah, yet many of us cut corners in life. Lying on CV’s to get jobs, lying to village councils about our pay in order to take benefits we do not deserve, avoiding tax etc. These are just some examples of betrayal of trusts that we were given by the governments. Regardless of whether a government is Muslim or even true to itself, our fulfilment of these trusts comes down to pleasing Allah.

Another example could also be students. When the parents are paying the student fees or travel and putting in effort for the child to learn and they end up skipping class or not trying to achieve at all. This of course does not include younger children but is also not limited to older students either; teenagers who have reached puberty are as responsible as grown adults and must take heed of this.

A lot of what falls into this principle are usually situations in which we are not being watched over by others. Most cases result in nobody knowing what we are slacking in or what rights we are not fulfilling and we do not get caught. It is in these situations that we are being tested and Allah commands us to do right by those who have entrusted us with something because in the end it is He who is truly the one entrusting us.

This also applies to us saying “yes” to something. If somebody asks us for something or to do something and we agree, then it becomes an obligation because Allah obligated us. If it’s something we know we cannot fulfil then we simply say no – we have to open and honest about things like this.

Then we come to keeping Allah’s trust, the Qur’an and Sunnah – we are the carriers of His book. We all know on an individual level when we are violating Allah’s rules, yet we do it anyway – since He did not create this world with immediate consequence. We do things now that are against Allah’s teachings and we do not always see the repercussions of our actions in this world.

However, let us just imagine the day when Allah will reveal every single right and trust that we violated against Him, He portrays in the Qur’an what the wrongdoers will be proclaiming:

And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.

[18:49]

How will we answer to this?

This is not to say that we as humans are created to be perfect. The prophet (ﷺ) says: “All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often.” [Tirmidhi]

It is more to keep us weary of that which we do even when nobody can see. A hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari narrates a man asking the prophet (ﷺ) what Ihsan (excellence) is in the religion and the prophet (ﷺ) said that it is to worship Allah as if He can see you and if this state of devotion is not achieved, then remember that Allah can indeed see you in any case.

Let us take a step back and analyse the trusts we have been given. Are we truly doing right by them?

May Allah make us of those who fulfil His rights, whether they are personal to Him or through doing right by His people.

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

As we know, one of the miracles of our prophet pbuh was that he gave detailed descriptions of what will happen in the future. Part of his prophecies was the signs of the hour. Here we will go through what was mentioned in many hadith found in Bukhari and others explaining the events that will occur before and after the Dajjal. These are summaries of the events and not exact hadith quotes.

Signs Before the Major Signs: (i.e. before the emergence of Imaam Mahdi)

Christain Rule Will be dominant

ANOMALOUS INCIDENTS WILL OCCUR
Occurrence of red winds, disfiguration of faces (man to pig), and people being swallowed into the ground.

GENOCIDE
A man from Abu Sufyaan’s progeny massacres descendents of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  and rules over Syria and Egypt.

WAR
A major war between Muslims and Christians: Half the Christian army will sign a peace treaty with the Muslim army, while the second half of the Christian army remains the common enemy.

ISTANBUL CONQUERED BY CHRISTIANS
The enemy half of the Christian army conquers Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey.

ISTANBUL RECONQUERED JOINTLY BY MUSLIM AND CHRISTIANS
The Muslims and the good half of the Christian army conquer Constantinople together, against the enemy Christians. Thereafter, a Christian will say the victory was due to the cross, and the Muslim will say it was due to Islam. A battle between both sides will ensue, and the Muslim Ruler will be martyred.

SYRIA CONQUERED BY CHRISTIANS
The two Christian armies reunite, conquering Syria.

CHRISTIAN DOMINATION
Christians dominate the world up to Khaiber (near Madinah), and they will pursue Muslims with 80 flags, with 12,000 men under each flag.

MUSLIMS AWAIT Imaam Mahdi

TOTAL ECLIPSE
A total eclipse of the sun and moon will occur in Ramadhan, prior to Imaam Mahdi’s emergence.

The Major Signs:

IMAAM MAHDI EMERGES
At age 40, Imaam Mahdi appears in Makkah, then flees to Madinah.

MUSLIM ARMY MARCHES
The army of Mansoor from Khurasaan will head towards Makkah to aid Imaam Mahdi. They will win many battles on the way. No force will be able to stop them. They will carry black flags.

SUFYAANI ARMY SWALLOWED BY THE EARTH.
The Sufyaani army (an Anti-Muslim force) from Syria singles out Imaam Mahdi for execution. On the way to Makkah, they get swallowed into the ground. A second Sufyaani army is created with 960,000 men (of 80 nations).

CONFRONTATION IN SYRIA
Imaam Mahdi and the Muslim army go to Syria to confront the Christians. The Christians, before the battle, will ask Muslims for the return of their prisoners-of-war. The Muslims will refuse. The battle will begin. One-third of Imaam Mahdi’s army will flee (their repentance will not be accepted), one-third will be martyred, and one-third will gain victory over the Christians.

MUSLIM ARMY UNDER IMAAM MAHDI CONQUERS PALESTINE

JIHAAD ON INDIA
A jamaat of Muslims wages Jihaad on India and be successful.

SYRIA UNDER MUSLIM RULE
Imaam Mahdi returns to Syria and establishes Muslim rule over the lands he passes.

ANIMOSTIY RIFE AMONGST THE PEOPLE
At this time, Muslims will be weak and there will be very few pious people.

3 RUMORS OF EMERGENCE OF Dajjal… 3 YEARS OF DROUGHT
Before the emergence of Dajjaal there will be three years of drought. The first year, the skies will retain 1/3 of its water, the second year 2/3, and all of its water the third year.

DAJJAAL APPEARS
Dajjaal appears. His followers, the Yahudis, will number 70,000 and will wear expensive silk attire and carry double edged swords.

Hadhrat Eisa (JESUS) APPEARS
Hadhrat Eisa descends during the lifetime of Imaam Mahdi.

DAJJAAL KILLED AT THE GATE OF HUDD
Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam kills Dajjaal at the Gate of Hudd, near an Israeli airport, in the valley of “Ifiq.” The final war between the Yahudi’s will ensue, and the Muslims be victorious.

TOTAL PEACE
With the death of Dajjaal, all wars will end. Jihad will be stopped; peace, harmony, and tranquility will be on earth. The earth will produce abundant crops and fruit. The people will follow Islam.

HADHRAT EISA RECEIVES REVELATION
The revelation tells that the Yajooj and Majooj will soon be released and the believers should be taken to Mt. Toor (Sinai).

YAJOOJ AND MAJOOJ (“Gog and Magog”) RELEASED
The Yajooj and Majooj surge forth in large numbers. They destroy everything in their path in their effort to conquer the world. They will be released in two groups.

YAJOOJ AND MAJOOJ REACH JERUSALEM
When they reach Mount Khamrin in Jerusalem, they will proclaim to have conquered the world. Then the will shoot arrows into the sky to conquer the heavens. The arrows will return blood stained.

HARDHSHIPS ON MOUNT TOOR
Scarcity of provisions and hardships will afflict the Muslims. Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam and the Muslims will pray for the removal of the calamity.

YAJOOJ AND MAJOOJ KILLED BY INFECTIONS
Their prayers were answered and the Yajooj and Majooj develop boil infections, causing them to burst simultaneously as a result.

EARTH FULL OF STENCH OF CORPSES
Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam and his companions pray again and huge birds are sent to pick up the Yajooj and Majooj corpses and dispose of them in Nahbal (according to Tirmidhi), the ocean or elsewhere.

PEACE ON EARTH
It will rain for forty days and the earth will be cleansed. Muslims will burn the bows and arrow of Yajooj and Majooj for 7 years. Life will be peaceful while Hadhrat Eisa alayhis salaam is alive. The earth will be bountiful. Hadhrat Eisa will live 19 years after marriage.

HADHRAT EISA PASSES AWAY AND BURIED NEXT TO MUHAMMED (S.A.W.)

OTHER LEADERS FOLLOW AFTER HADHRAT EISA alayhis salaam
Jahjaan from Qahtaan, from a tribe in Yemen, will rule as the next Khalifa. Muquad, from a tribe of Banu Tamim will also be a deputy. SOCIETY SLOWLY DECAYS AND KUFR SETS IN

The Final Signs of Qiyaamah:

1. THE CAVING IN OF THE GROUND
The ground will cave in: one in the east, one in the west, and one in Hejaz, Saudi Arabia.

2. THE FORTY DAY SMOKE/FOG
Fog or smoke will cover the skies for forty days. The non-believers will fall unconscious, while Muslims will be ill (develop colds). The skies will then clear up.

3. THE NIGHT OF THREE NIGHTS
A night three nights long will follow the fog. It will occur in the month of Zil-Hajj after Eidul-Adha, and cause much restlessness among the people.

4. THE RISING OF THE SUN IN THE WEST
After the night of three nights, the following morning the sun will rise in the west. People’s repentance will not be accepted after this incident.

5. THE BEAST FROM THE EARTH APPEARS
One day later, the Beast from the earth will miraculously emerge from Mount Safaa in Makkah, causing a split in the ground. The beast will be able to talk to people and mark the faces of people, making the believers’ faces glitter, and the non-believers’ faces darkened.

6. THE BREEZE FROM THE SOUTH
A breeze from the south causes sores in the armpits of Muslims, which they will die of as a result.

7. DESTRUCTION OF THE KA’ABA
The Ka’aba will be destroyed by non-Muslim African group. Kufr will be rampant. Haj will be discontinued. The Qur’an will be lifted from the heart of the people, 30 years after the ruler Muquad’s death.

8. FINAL SIGN OF QIYAAMAH: FIRE IN YEMEN
The fire will follow people to Syria, after which it will stop.

COMMENCEMENT OF QIYAAMAH
Some years after the fire, Qiyaamah begins with the Soor (trumpet) being blown. The year is not known to any person. Qiyaamah will come upon the worst of creation.

What can we take from this?

These signs should be a precaution for the believers; a warning for what is to come in this world. However, at the end of the day we must remember that our judgement begins in the grave. No matter how far some signs may seem to us now, our departure from this dunya is far closer and unknown. Once we depart, there is no return, and the signs in this world will not matter to us.

May Allah make us of those who ponder over time and make use of what we have of it by staying on His path.

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

After the release of a recent TV show on a popular media platform, the Dajjal has started trending amongst the people. From the prophecies given to us by the prophet pbuh, we know that the time of the Dajjal is near.

It is important for the Muslims to distinguish between what is true and false about the coming of the false messiah. There are many narrations by our prophet (ﷺ) regarding this issue, here we will cover the overall story.

The prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Dajjal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word” Kafir”. He then spelled the word as k. f. r., which every Muslim would be able to read.” [Bukhari]

The prophet (ﷺ) said:

“He would come but would not be allowed to enter the mountain passes to Medina. So he will alight at some of the barren tracts near Medina, and a person who would be the best of men or one from amongst the best of men would say to him: I bear testimony to the fact that you are Dajjal about whom Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had informed us.

The Dajjal would say: What is your opinion if I kill this (person), then I bring him back to life; even then will you harbour doubt in this matter? They would say: No. He would then kill (the man) and then bring him back to life. When he would bring that person to life, he would say: By Allah, I had no better proof of the fact (that you are a Dajjal) than at the present time (that you are actually so).

The Dajjal would then make an attempt to kill him (again) but he would not be able to do that. Abu Ishaq reported that it was said: That person would be Khadir (Allah be pleased with him).” [Muslim]

A hadith by Ibn Majah, authenticated by Darrusalam:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Dajjal, one morning, as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees.

When we came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the evening, he saw that (fear) in us, and said: ‘What is the matter with you?’

We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you mentioned Dajjal this morning, and you spoke of him as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees.’

He said: ‘There are things that I fear more for you than the Dajjal. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on your behalf, and if he appears when I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself, and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf.

He (Dajjal) will be a young man with curly hair and a protuberant eye; I liken him to ‘Abdul-‘Uzza bin Qatan. Whoever among you sees him, let him recite the first Verses of Surat Al-Kahf over him. He will emerge from Khallah, between Sham and Iraq, and will wreak havoc right and left. O slaves of Allah, remain steadfast.’

We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth?’

He said: ‘Forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days.’

We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day suffice us?’

He said: ‘Make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).’

We said: ‘How fast will he move through the earth?’ He said: ‘Like a rain cloud driving by the wind.’

He said: ‘He will come to some people and call them, and they will respond and believe in him. Then he will command the sky to rain and it will rain, and he will command the earth to produce vegetation and it will do so, and their flocks will come back in the evening with their humps taller, their udders fuller and their flanks fatter than they have ever been.

Then he will come to some (other) people and call them, and they will reject him, so he will turn away from them and they will suffer drought and be left with nothing. Then he will pass through the wasteland and will say: “Bring forth your treasures,” then go away, and its treasures will follow him like a swarm of bees.

Then he will call a man brimming with youth and will strike him with a sword and cut him in two. He will put the two pieces as far apart as the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will call him and he will come with his face shining, laughing.

While they are like that, Allah will send ‘Eisa bin Maryam, who will come down at the white minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two Mahrud[garment dyed with Wars and then Saffron], resting his hands on the wings of two angels.

When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it. Every disbeliever who smells the fragrance of his breath will die, and his breath will reach as far as his eye can see. Then he will set out and catch up with him (the Dajjal) at the gate of Ludd, and will kill him.

Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Eisa will come to some people whom Allah has protected, and he will wipe their faces and tell them of their status in Paradise. While they are like that, Allah will reveal to him: “O ‘Eisa, I have brought forth some of My slaves whom no one will be able to kill, so take My slaves to Tur in safety.”

Then Gog and Magog will emerge and they will, as Allah describes, “swoop down from every mound.”[21:96] The first of them will pass by lake Tiberias and drink from it, then the last of them will pass by it and will say: “There was water here once.”

The Prophet of Allah, ‘Eisa and his companions will be besieged there until the head of an ox would be dearer to any one of them than one hundred Dinar are to any one of you today.

Then, the Prophet of Allah, ‘Eisa and his companions will supplicate Allah. Then Allah will send a worm in their [Gog and Magog] necks and the next morning they will all die as one.

The Prophet of Allah ‘Eisa and his companions will come down and they will not find even the space of a hand span that is free of their stink, stench and blood. They will pray to Allah, and He will send birds with necks like the necks of Bactrian camels, which will pick them up and throw them wherever Allah wills.

Then Allah will send rain which will not leave any house of clay or hair, and it will wash the earth until it leaves it like a mirror (or a smooth rock). Then it will be said to the earth: “Bring forth your fruits and bring back your blessing.”

On that day a group of people will eat from a (single) pomegranate and it will suffice them, and they will seek shelter beneath its skin. Allah will bless a milch- camel so that it will be sufficient for a large number of people, and a milch-cow will be sufficient for a whole tribe and a milch-ewe will be sufficient for a whole clan.

While they are like that, Allah will send a pleasant wind which will seize them beneath their armpits and will take the soul of every Muslim, leaving the rest of the people fornicating like donkeys, and upon them will come the Hour.'”

The prophet (ﷺ) also mentioned a dream he had, narrated by Abdullah:

“The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape.

While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders.

His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba.

I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf “ [Bukhari]

Ibn Umar narrated:

“We were talking about the Farewell Pilgrimage without knowing what was it when Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was also present.

He (ﷺ) stood up and recited the Praise and Glorification of Allah. He then gave a detailed account of Ad-Dajjal and said, ‘Every Prophet sent by Allah had warned his people against his mischief.

Nuh (ﷺ) )warned his nation and so did all the Prophets after him. If he (i.e., Ad-Dajjal) appears among you, his condition will not remain hidden from you. Your Rubb is not one-eyed, but Ad-Dajjal is. His right eye is protruding like a swollen grape.

Listen, Allah has made your blood, and your properties as inviolable as of this day of yours (i.e., the Day of Sacrifice), in this city of yours (i.e., Makkah), in this month of yours (i.e., Dhul -Hijjah).

Listen, have I conveyed Allah’s Message to you?” The people replied in affirmative. There upon he said, “O Allah, bear witness.” And he repeated it thrice. He (ﷺ) concluded: “Do not revert after me as infidels killing one another”.” [Bukhari]

How can we protect ourselves from him? The prophet (ﷺ) said:

“If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.” [Muslim]

Allah knows best.